Posted by Old Ben
a resident of Shoreline West
on May 31, 2013 at 11:29 am

When this sort of thing happens in NYC, they practically crucify the perpetrator. Here, it's just business as usual. This town is amazing. People kill other people with cars here with total impunity. Remember that acupuncturist from Saratoga who murdered that old guy on California Street a few years back? She walked away with a one-year Drivers License suspension ON A FATAL HIT & RUN. That Matthew Pumar, he'll probably walk.

It's why I do my shopping elsewhere. I don't feel safe on the sidewalks here.

Posted by USA
a resident of Old Mountain View
on May 31, 2013 at 12:16 pm

It was reported elsewhere that "Drugs and alcohol were determined to not be factors in the fatal crash. Instead the incident appears to have been cause by Cheung being unable to keep the car on the road, police said." Web Link

So basically, Cheung cannot drive a car.

Yeah, I'll bet he keeps his license and will not have any repercussions for disappearing.

Posted by Wo\'O Ideafarm
a resident of another community
on Jun 2, 2013 at 9:53 pmWo\'O Ideafarm is a registered user.

See "PEDESTRIANS' RIGHTS AND DUTIES" in the Rules of the Road part of the Vehicle Code. It isn't very long; there are only 23 provisions (21949-21971). The essence of the law is that everyone has an equal right to use any part of the roadway, subject to the following right of way and other rules of the road. In particular, although it is normally unwise to do so, a pedestrian has the legal right to use any part of the roadway for any lawful purpose, as long as the pedestrian yields the right of way to any approaching motorist. This is a very old feature of our legal system that traces back to the "King's Highway Doctrine" in England, which held that everyone has an equal right to use the King's highways. (Source: Restatement of the Law, First Edition.) The rules of the road for pedestrians are:

21949: Legislative intent is to encourage pedestrian travel and to make pedestrian traveland access safe and convenient.

21950: A pedestrian has the right of way when within a crosswalk; drivers must yield.

21950.5: A crosswalk may not be removed without a hearing.

21951: A driver may not pass another driver who has stopped for a pedestrian who is in a crosswalk.

21952: A pedestrian has the right of way when on a sidewalk; drivers must yield.

21953: Wherever a pedestrian tunnel or bridge exists, drivers have the right of way; pedestrians must yield.

21954: Pedestrians who are on a roadway other than within a crosswalk must yield right of way to drivers.

21955: When between intersections controlled by traffic lights, pedestrians may not cross anywhere other than within a crosswalk.

21956: Outside of a business or residential district, pedestrians may not walk at any place other than along the right edge of the roadway.

21957: No person may stand on a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride.

21959: No person may ski or toboggan across a roadway so as to interfere with vehicular traffic.

21960: Local authorities may restrict the use of freeways and expressways by pedestrians and bicyclists.

21961: Local authorities may prohibit pedestrians from crossing other than within crosswalks.

21962: Peace officers can, for cause, order a pedestrian to leave a bridge or overpass.

21963: Blind pedestrians carrying white canes have right of way everywhere.

21964: Pedestrians who are not blind may not carry a white cane.

21965: ["Blind" defined.]

21966: No pedestrian shall proceed along a bike lane when a sidewalk is available.

21967: Local authorities may regulate the use of skateboards.

21968: Motorized skateboards are prohibited everywhere.

21969: Local authorities may regulate the use of roller skates.

21970: A vehicle may not be stopped unnecessarily such that it blocks a crosswalk or sidewalk.

21971: It is an infraction to injure a pedestrian or bicyclist when violating specified vehicle code provisions.

Posted by Wo\'O Ideafarm
a resident of another community
on Jun 4, 2013 at 8:21 pmWo\'O Ideafarm is a registered user.

Last January, I stood in the roadway and displayed a sign that read,

"MTN. VIEW V. FREE SPEECH / READ ABOUT IT @ IDEAFARM.COM"

I did this for three days. The Mountain View Municipal Corporation responded by, among other things, arresting and imprisoning me. Then a judge hit me with the $25,000 bail mentioned above. Corrupt local government here, including the CORRUPT COURT, is doing everything that they can think of to keep me silenced. Aladdin Bail Bonds has bailed me out FOUR TIMES. The bail premium payments are killing me.

This situation is just like a woman being raped in broad daylight on a crowded sidewalk, with hundreds of passersby stepping over and pretending to not see.

Posted by Wo\'O Ideafarm
a resident of another community
on Jun 5, 2013 at 8:20 pmWo\'O Ideafarm is a registered user.

What I have in mind, in suggesting similarity, is that both situations involve duty and neglect of that duty. In both situations, each and every member of the public arguably has a duty to act. If you are walking along a crowded sidewalk and you see a woman being raped and everyone else stepping over and pretending to not see, you have a duty (if you are male) to confront the woman's attacker and defend her.

Similarly, if you see someone drowning at the beach, and there is no lifeguard, you have a duty to act to save the person.

My point is that the same kind of duty exists if you see someone in your community being victimized by corrupt government. When it appears that such an attack on one of your number is occurring, the males in the community have a duty to come together, discuss what the facts are and what should be done, and then DO SOMETHING. It is an important part of what it means to be a man, a good, strong man.

Women also have duty in all three of the above situations. I happen to think that the above situations are primarily the reponsibility of the men of the community to "make right". But you don't have to accept my views on gender roles to accept the point that I am making here.

Self government only works when the population is moral, vigilant, and quick to respond to "make it right" when something is wrong.

Life is hard. I am not saying that you have to be a John Wayne and take care of it all by yourself. Many hands make light the work. If the majority, or even a significant minority, of the population did what I am saying, things would be significantly better in Mountain View for everyone. Mountain View is the most corrupt municipal corporation in California. Are you OK with that? If so, then YOU are the problem.